Hogsmeade

"Slowly, the fugitives began to filter into the village of Hogsmeade- located outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Houses were built and refurnished, business created and reestablished, and the wizarding families created a society of their own." —Board Plot

Hogsmeade is a wizarding settlement located in Scotland, Great Britain. It is the only place in Britain that is exclusively inhabited by wizards and is unable to be accessed or seen by muggles. Hogsmeade is located near to the famous wizarding school, Hogwarts, the students of which are allowed to visit the town once a month once they reach their third year of education and have parental permission.[1]

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Though Hogsmeade did not reach it's current station until recently, its founding occurred centuries prior, around 1000 C.E.

Hengist of Woodcroft fled his home due to muggle persecution, founding the small community near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though prior to the exodus of 1877 it was never particularly large—no more than six families had lived there permanently at any given time—it had its bustling periods from time to time, such as the Goblin Rebellion of 1612. There was also always at least one traveller at The Three Broomsticks, which Hengist himself founded.

As part of their mandate, the Ministry of Magic has always conferred with the monarch and prime minister on matters of security, requiring that both parties know of the existance of wizardkind.

In the spring of 1877, one of Queen Victoria's ministers attempted to kill her using magic she had not known he posessed. Livid that somone so close to her could do something so vile, the queen blamed magic for the event, and launched a crusade against those who practiced it. To prevent the spread of this information outside of the country, obliviators were stationed at every port to ensure travellers would not take this knowledge with them. However, removing the truth from the entire population was a much larger undertaking. By summer, many magical families became "found out" by their muggle neighbors, and relocated to their historical, magic-only stronghold.

It took five months for the Ministry of Magic's obliviators to finally finish cleaning up the mess, at which point—with homes and friendships lost by much of the magical community—it was too late to repair the social damage that had been done.

Queen Victoria is still aware of magic but, as long as the wizards are off in their corner of the world and leaving the "normal people" safe and free of their presence, she keeps quiet on the matter.

In the time since it has come into existence, Hogsmeade has been the home of many events such as the annual Summer Solstice Festival, the Quidditch World Cup of 1883 and regular dueling tournaments just to mention a few. It is the center of Britain's wizarding community though not all British wizards decide to live in Hogsmeade.

Since the establishment of the town in 1877, the population has steadily increased until 1882 when it was decided extra space was needed to cater for the increasing population and demand for housing. The result was the Hogsmeade Trail which ended with the discovery of Irvingly, a mixed magical and muggle community where homes are more affordable than those in Hogsmeade.

Bursting with activity at all hours of the day, every respectable - and not so respectable - establishment can be found along the High Street, which is wide enough to accommodate the constant rush of pedestrians and vehicles. Important establishments such as the Hogsmeade Hospital, the Ministry of Magic and Ollivander's can be found alongside further shops selling clothes, sweets, cauldrons and books, as well as the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head. These places of business - and more - can be found in varying states of occupation all day and all night. For a full list, see High Street.

A beautiful and colorful garden has been carefully cultivated in the middle of Hogsmeade. It is large but still manages to be cozy. The green leafage is spread all around with bright and colorful flowers sprinkled thickly throughout. Among the sprawling grass and a shady copse of twisted trees are paved paths, perfect for walking or bicycling. Different benches are scattered about, some shaded some in the sun, for those who merely want to rest. The lawn is open enough to offer a game of croquet or lawn tennis, or even play host to a picnic. A large pond can be found off to one side of the garden, an inlet from the Black Lake. Several charmingly decorated boats are enchanted to give lazy and gentle rides around the pond, though the spells are not strong enough to resist the tampering from troublemakers. As far as anyone knows, there aren't any creatures that live in the lake aside from a couple of gentle giant goldfish. Several families of ducks have decided to make the place their home, as have dozens of songbirds. In the evenings, the park is lit up by golden orbs that levitate above the walking paths. They have been known to become attached to a person and to try to follow them home, so keep an eye out. A person of any class is welcome here, though most stick to their own social circles and ignore the rest.

Hogsmeade Station is the only train station that travels to and from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and also newly links to the town of Irvingly. Almost kitschy in atmosphere, the station is made of big, melodramatic archways and high, vaulted ceilings that serve little purpose. The colors tend to be equally gaudy, and artwork, upholstery, trains, and floor tiles range in color from royal purple to neon orange. A handful of restaurants and gift shops can also be found within.

Named for the asphodel flowers that grow wild around the tombstones, Asphodel Cemetery is a quiet and mysterious place when the sun is shining. In the evening, it has been rumored to be haunted by the most terrifying ghosts who howl and whine throughout the late hours. Those who visit at night have been said to have never been the same - some say cursed, some say terrified into craziness and others say it is unexplainable. It is tucked away on a hill that overlooks the village of Hogsmeade. The only way to reach it is by following winding paths through the village that lead out to the slums and slightly through the Forbidden Forest. The graves are new, with the oldest being only a few years old.

A cut above all of the rest, Wellingtonshire is the residential lane for those of considerable means. Though the houses are tightly compacted and built somewhat like miner's homes, the outer facades are deceiving. Enchanted to hold more than they ought, the homes of Wellingtonshire are exceptionally and intimidatingly grand on the inside, and few pedestrians litter the immaculately kept streets for fear of being thought of as potential thieves. Wellingtonshire is also home to the gentlemen's clubs Black's and Atlantis, and to the ladies' clubs The Lady Morgana and Rose & Thistle, each boasting their own unique atmospheres, both in terms of decor and discussion. These are considered the most elite of the groups the magical community has to offer, with high standards--and a high price--for admission, and thus are only open to official members.

Home of the middle class, the Bartonburg District is a modest but extremely dense bit of Hogsmeade, holding more than half of its inhabitants in a series of townhouses that all interconnect in various, confusing ways. Homes are known to be stacked aslant on top of one another, though naturally the magic ingrained into the architecture makes the homes of the Bartonburg District sturdy, cozy, and just big enough for an average family. Bartonburg is also home to the ladies' club Daughters of Demeter, a catchall group founded in 1880.

The Slums are just as glamorous as they sound. Built amidst a din of less than savory people and street purveyors, The Slums are where the lowest class dwells. Small, squat, shack-lack buildings line the streets, which are littered with garbage and muck. Though during the day The Slums are unpleasant, it's the night which really gives the area a bad name — even those who live here are rarely seen outdoors after nightfall, as the shadiest of characters can be found in every nook and cranny.